The California Fire Service July - August 2024

Recognizing the unique challenges faced by rural emergency response teams, PHMSA collaborates with the NVFC to bring resources and training to the many volunteers across the United States through the Fire Department Pipeline Response, Emergency Planning, & Preparedness (FD PREPP) initiative. Rural areas often contend with limited resources and unique obstacles when dealing with pipeline incidents. FD PREPP aims to bridge these gaps by providing volunteer emergency responders with the knowledge, resources, and training to manage pipeline-related emergencies effectively. A free toolkit and trainings are available at www.nvfc.org/pipelines. The message here is to encourage collaboration to enhance the preparedness and capabilities of emergency responders in dealing with incidents involving pipelines and hazardous materials. These initiatives can, and do, involve training programs, information sharing, resource allocation, and collaboration between local emergency response agencies, industry stakeholders and pipeline operators, and the responder community. They help ensure swifter and more effective actions during responses to pipeline emergencies. Collaboration among all parties is the perfect conduit for disseminating best practices, lessons garnered, and technological advancements in emergency management.

PHMSA fosters collaboration between pipeline operators and emergency responders, exemplified by its Pipeline Emergency Responders Initiative (PERI) and an ongoing agreement with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). The PERI program plays an important role in closing the gap on communication and collaboration during pipeline emergencies. Beginning in 2012, PHMSA worked side-by-side with pipeline operators and emergency responders to build this public-private partnership. PERI bridges that gap and fosters engagement, training, and information-sharing among the diverse stakeholders involved in pipeline safety and emergency response. PHMSA has facilitated PERI outreach to all 50 states and continues to encourage collaborative engagement as a model for safe, effective response to pipeline emergencies. Several states have developed PERI-like programs that serve their broader community well and have exemplified successful collaboration. Learn more at www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/peri/pipeline emergency-responders-initiative-peri-overview.

James Prothro is a community liaison program manager for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. He serves as PHMSA’s program lead with the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Pipeline Emergency Responders Initiative.

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